Cayman products, students off to Canada

A group of Caymanian students is taking a little bit of the Caribbean to the Canadian province of Ontario thanks in part to four businesses.

Walkers, CUC, Tortuga Rum Co. and the Department of Tourism are sponsoring the Caymanian contingent of CaribCouncil, a student organization at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario.

‘We are so grateful for this support, which will raise awareness about Cayman and Caymanian products in the area and among the 5,000-strong school community,’ says CaribCouncil Executive Director Donovon Kellyman.

The group organises Caribbean-themed events throughout the school year, which culminate in CaribFest, a week-long party taking place 11-15 April.

‘Along with donating some gift packages, CUC has graciously sponsored the printing costs of the CaribFest tickets,’ said Donovon.

Tortuga Rum Company has provided individual rum cakes for 70 staff and faculty and rum cake samples for 700 students along with many other Cayman Islands gift items for students, staff, and faculty.

The Department of Tourism, through its office in Canada, is providing technical expertise and will assist the student group in festival planning.

Walkers, along with partners Cayman Airways, is helping the group take its Change in the Air programme to the school.

The programme collects loose CI or US change from travellers on Cayman Airways flights, with proceeds going toward the National Recovery Fund and other charities in Cayman. Proceeds from the on-the ground Change in the Air programme at Trinity College School will go toward the NRF.

‘We were talking about Change in the Air at school and how it was a great charitable programme with a lot of merit,’ said fellow Caymanian and Trinity student Christian Gunning.

‘CaribCouncil was still trying to work out how Walker’s could help us out, and it just clicked that maybe we could help them out as well,’ he said.

That’s when the students brought Walker’s and Cayman Airways to the table and gave them their proposal.

‘We committed CAD $2,000 to the cause, and hopefully a lot more once the tickets to Cayman are raffled,’ said Christian.

Impressed, Walkers agreed to the challenge.

“We are pleased to work with Cayman Airways and these industrious Caymanian students to raise international awareness about the Change in the Air programme,’ said Walkers’ Global Managing Partner Grant Stein.

‘We are particularly proud of the programme, which recently received a community relations award at the Legal Marketing Association Your Honour Awards in Atlanta.”

Cayman Airways has also donated two round trip tickets to a US destination, which will be auctioned off during CaribFest. The proceeds will be donated to the Change in the Air programme as well.